Syed Liyaqat Shah granted bail by Delhi court

NEW DELHI: A local court on Friday trashed Delhi Police's arguments that Syed Liyaqat Shah was a terrorist. In an embarrassment to the force, the court granted bail to Shah saying there is no prima facie case against him. The National Investigation Agency had so far not proved conspiracy to conduct terror strikes in Delhi in March, the court said.

"No substantial evidence has come up against the petitioner and the prosecution/NIA has failed to make out a prima facie case against him. NIA investigation also confirms there is no proof of conspiracy to commit terrorist attack on vital installations in Delhi till date," district Judge IS Mehta said in his order, releasing Shah on bail on a personal bond of 20,000 and a surety of the same amount. He has been asked to surrender his passport to NIA, not leave the country without permission and visit a local police station in J&K every month.

Shah was incarcerated in police custody and Tihar Jail for almost two months. Shah had said that he was a former terrorist who was returning with family to be rehabilitated in Jammu and Kashmir as per the surrender policy. The J&K Police had vouched for Shah and that he was only returning to J&K from Pakistan under the rehabilitation policy.

However, the Delhi Police, which arrested him near the Nepal border, alleged he was a terrorist from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who planned to carry out a strike in Delhi.